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Film: Scrooge 1951

Scrooge is a 1951 film adaptation of the novel A Christmas Carol. It stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge and Michael Hordern as Jacob Marley; both would reprise the roles in the 1971 animated film A Christmas Carol.

Scrooge provides examples of the following tropes:

Adaptation Expansion:
- Adds an extended Start of Darkness sequence depicting how Scrooge and Marley were corrupted by an unscrupulous mentor luring them away from Fezziwig's good influence.
- Then there is the touching scene where Scrooge comes to Fred's house to accept his invitation for Christmas dinner at last, fearful that he would be rejected, only to find he needn't have doubted Fred's love.
- This movie covers Fan's Death by Childbirth, as well as her final moments with her brother. The only other adaptation to attempt this was Ebbie, which aired in 1995.
- Mrs. Dilber's presence was expanded in the movie as the first witness to the changed Scrooge, in a scene that's both hilarious and heartwarming.
Almost Dead Guy:
- Young Scrooge, thinking his sister has died, bitterly storms from the room, and misses her dying request to him.
- Later, much older Scrooge has Marley delivering a warning with his last breaths, but it's pretty much over his head. Scrooge even waited until business was over to bother visiting him; his maid incredulously declares "I'll see if I can get him to hold out, I'm sure!"
Canon Foreigner: The Predatory Business which buys out Fezziwig is personified by Mr. Jawking. Jawking serves as an Evil Mentor to Scrooge and Marley both, pairing them up in an ominous scene. He is later caught embezzling from his own banking house; Scrooge and Marley bail him out in return for 51% of the stock share, effectively a hostile takeover.
Creepy Child: Ignorance and Want.
Deadpan Snarker: Scrooge.
Death by Childbirth:
- Scrooge's mother died giving birth to him, leading to a troubled relationship between him and his father.
- Scrooge's sister Fan.
Died Mid-Sentence: Marley, while attempting to warn Scrooge of his fate and to "save himself".
Laughing Mad: When Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning and can't stop laughing out of joy, his housekeeper thinks, justifiably, that he's gone quite mad.
Market-Based Title: Was released as A Christmas Carol in some markets.
My God, What Have I Done?: When he gets a better look at Fan's death, Scrooge realizes that she asked him to look after Fred. He begins to feel very contrite, as he has gone out of his way to avoid Fred.
Scrooge: Forgive me, Fan!
Start of Darkness: The Christmas Past sequence explores this, more so than other adaptations.
Timeshifted Actor: George Cole as Young Ebenezer Scrooge and Patrick Macnee as Young Jacob Marley.